“Uh, yes, it is.”
“How do you like it so far?”
“I love it. It’s gorgeous. I actually came here because of my mom.” She cleared her throat. “She loved it here. She passed away a few months ago. On the island, actually. And it’s been really nice to have something to keep myself busy.”
Shoot – Jade hadn’t meant to bring that up. Not at all. “My mom told me, and I’m so sorry to hear about that.”
“It’s okay. Actually, when I came here – well, when I first came to the island – it was because they still don’t know who it was that hit her. With the car. The driver left behind a bumper, and there’s only one person who has a car on the island that matches that bumper. The police made the mistake of telling my dad that so…I sort of tried to break into his garage to look for the car.”
“Oh my goodness!”
Jade suppressed a smile. Her mom’s mouth popped open almost instantly. “Calm down Mom. I would do the same thing if it was you.”
Morgan continued. “I know it sounds stupid…and that’s because it was. But they have the bumper from him and I don’t know why they need any more evidence. Well, I guess I do know, I just wish that they could arrest him.”
Jade frowned. “That’s really tough. I’m so sorry.”
“He was caught drunk driving later that night – in a different car. It’s all very suspicious. But they stopped giving us updates months ago, and it felt like the case went cold. I just couldn’t stand that.”
Jade didn’t want to make the poor girl talk about anything that she didn’t want to talk about, but she was being very open about all of this.
“Do you have any siblings? Are they…involved too?”
Morgan shook her head. “No, it’s just me and my dad. Well, he’s my stepdad, technically, but he raised me since I was two years old.”
“Oh – are your parents divorced?” asked Jade.
“No, my biological dad died before I was born. So I guess technically I’m an orphan,” Morgan said with a weak laugh.
“You are not an orphan!” Jade’s mom jumped in. “Your dad loves you very much and he’s very worried about you. And you should really tell him where you’ve been.”
Morgan nodded. “Yeah, I know. He’ll just worry. And I kind of ended up here on a whim. It’s – uh – kind of my thing.”
Despite her mom’s stern tone, it did seem to cheer Morgan up a bit. Poor girl – Jade now felt guilty that she ever even joked about her being a con artist.
Jade heard her phone ringing in her purse. She reached in to grab it.
“Speaking of dads, mine is calling right now.” Jade stepped into one of the bedrooms and closed the door. “Hello?”
“Happy birthday sweetie!”
She frowned. “Dad, this is Jade.”
There was silence for a moment. “Oh! I meant to call…”
“Tiffany, your other daughter!” Jade started laughing. “And her birthday is tomorrow.”
“Of course, I knew that.”
Jade shook her head. Her dad was never great on details, but it was really unfair. Her mom had always taken care of all that stuff for him. It really couldn’t be helped at this point.
Jade was glad that he called, actually, because they didn’t get a chance to talk often. Her dad didn’t really like talking on the phone, but since she had him now, she excitedly told him all about her mom’s new house and the barn and how nicely everything was coming along.
“That sounds great, I’m so happy for you girls. I’ll have to plan a trip soon, but for now I have to run kiddo. Talk to you later!”
“Bye Dad. Love you!”
He’d already hung up. Darn it. That was alright, hopefully he would visit soon. That would be great.
Jade was upset when her parents got divorced – perhaps the most upset. They didn’t get to see a lot of him growing up, and she was worried that with the divorce, they would see even less of him. But it actually wasn’t that different. Jade was lucky that she was away at school at the time, and then she got married. Brandon reminded her a lot of her dad – it was partially the reason why she was so good at dealing with Brandon’s moods. Jade took after her mom, and her mom always knew how to handle a pouter.
She went back into the kitchen and helped lay out some of the linens. She watched Morgan carefully, trying to absorb some information about how to iron. She hated ironing, and every time she tried it, she ended up with burnt or wet laundry. This was good for her, and it gave her a chance to talk to Morgan about less heavy topics.
About an hour later, her mom got a phone call and rushed off into a bedroom. She was back after about ten minutes and returned looking a bit stunned.
“What’s going on? Did something happen?” asked Jade.
“No, nothing’s wrong. I just got a call from Tammy.”
“That’s my dad’s girlfriend,” Jade told Morgan. Morgan nodded and kept ironing the tablecloth.
“She said that she overheard how well everything was going with the barn, and apparently she and Dad would love to plan a visit.”
“That’s great!” said Jade. “I’ll be honest, I did talk it up to try to convince him.”
Her mom nodded. “Also…she asked if we could have a surprise birthday party for your dad at the barn.”
“But that’s only a few weeks away,” said Jade.
“I know.” Her mom frowned. “But how could I say no?”
Morgan chimed in. “As my mom always used to say, ‘No’ is a full sentence!”
Jade laughed. “My mom can’t say no. That’s where I get it from.”
Her mom clasped her hands together. “Oh come on, it’ll be fun! Your dad will come out, and hopefully your brother and your sister too. It’ll be really nice.”
“Well I guess this means I should extend my visit for a bit longer to help out with everything,” Morgan said quietly.
“No, you don’t have to keep working here for free,” her mom replied.
“I was actually hoping that there would be more for me to do. I’m not ready to go home yet.”
Jade felt her heart swell and she quickly caught eyes with her mom.
“We certainly wouldn’t kick you out,” said Jade.
“Yes,” her mom added. “I will take all the help that I can get!”
“Then I’m happy to stay,” said Morgan, spreading out the tablecloth, a wide grin on her face.
Chapter 9
It was only a week, but Hank was successful in keeping his mind occupied and away from Saltwater Cove. Meeting Morgan Allen refocused him – he went back to the sheriff’s office and spoke to every deputy involved with the Kelly Allen case. He looked through all of the information that they had and was able to confirm what he feared was true – they reached a dead end. They were unable to find the car, and neither Brock nor his mechanic Frankie were talking.
Earlier in the week, Hank paid a visit to Frankie on the mainland. Frankie was less than cooperative – friendly at first, but he quickly stopped answering questions when it came to Brock.
“I’ve got nothing to say about him,” he said. “I work on his cars sometimes. He has a lot of beautiful and expensive cars. End of story.”
“He must be a pretty great client if you loaned him your personal car,” replied Hank.
Frankie shook his head. “It’s not a crime to loan out your car to someone.”
“It is when they commit a crime using the car.”
“We both know that he was acquitted of the DUI. So nothing happened. Like I said, end of story. If you’ve got nothing else to say, I’ve got to get back to work.”
It was obvious that Frankie was trying to hide something, but Hank didn’t know how to get him to talk. He wasn’t going to give up, though. When he got back to work on Monday, he decided to pool everything he could about Frankie and his business.
Two hours into his investigation, Lola stopped by his desk. “Hey Chief, you got a visitor.”
“Tell them I’
m not here.”
“Your car is parked outside, though.”
“Tell them I died,” he said without looking up.
“You shouldn’t joke about that!” said a familiar voice.
Hank’s eyes shot up. “Margie! Lola didn’t tell me that it was you.”
Lola was already making her way out of the room but responded in a flat tone. “I’m full of surprises.”
Hank stood up. “Please, have a seat. Sorry about that – I had a guy come every day last week to try to convince me that his neighbor is a witch. I thought it was him again.”
She smiled warmly. “Sounds like a nuisance. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
They both took a seat. Margie looked nice, as usual, but he was going to keep things professional. “So what can I help you with today?”
“Well, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I need a recommendation for an electrician and a contractor. It seems that the barn will need to be up and running sooner than expected.”
She smelled pretty nice, too. What was that? Was it just perfume? Or was it some mixture of flowers and cookies and joy?
Hank nodded. “Absolutely. No problem. How are things coming along?”
“Pretty good so far. Morgan is staying with me – she’s been a huge help.”
He crossed his arms tightly. “I’m sorry about springing her on you like that. I meant to check in and see how things were going, but –”
“Everything’s great!” Margie said. “Really. I’m happy to have her.”
Wow. She couldn’t be any nicer if she tried. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“About Morgan…I actually have another favor to ask.”
Hank leaned in. “What’s up?”
“I feel strange asking this,” she said in a hushed voice. “But is there any way that you can get a copy of Morgan’s birth certificate?”
He frowned. “I could. But I would need to provide documentation as to why I am looking for her birth certificate.”
“Oh.”
“Why would you need that?”
Margie sighed. “Well, it’s a long story. Basically, Morgan was raised by her mom and her stepdad. She never met her biological father, but I think I may know who he was. But I don’t want to say anything without definite proof and…it’s very complicated.”
“I see,” said Hank leaning forward. “Unfortunately, it’d be best if Morgan requested it herself. I’m sure she has a copy at home somewhere.”
“I don’t want to bother her with it unless I actually know who it is. Do you know what I mean?”
Hank nodded. “Sure. Seems sensitive.”
“Well in that case,” Margie stood with a sigh. “I won’t take up any more of your time. I’ll just take your recommendations for the electrician and contractor.”
Hank ripped out a sheet of paper from his notebook and scrawled down three names. “No problem at all.”
“Oh – and this is kind of a strange request, too, but do you know anyone who could chop up a big tree? There was a storm a few nights ago, and a huge branch fell by the barn. Luckily it didn’t do any damage, but it’s too big for me to move myself.”
Without thinking, Hank replied. “Oh, I would love to help you with that. I’ve got a chainsaw at home, and I could come and chop it up in no time. You’d have some nice firewood once it dries out.”
“Oh you don’t have to do that! I don’t want to be any more of a bother to you than I already am.”
“Please, I’m pretty sure you’re the only reason that Morgan hasn’t gone back onto that guy’s property and I didn’t have to arrest her.”
Margie laughed. “Yes, I’m trying to be a good influence on her.”
“So really, I owe you. I’d be happy to do it. I could stop by tonight after work?”
“Well only if I can get you to stay for dinner,” said Margie. “I’m making enchiladas.”
Hank smiled. “Now you made me an offer that I can’t refuse. That lasagna was honestly the best thing I’ve had to eat in a year.”
She gently poked him in the shoulder. “Oh you stop it!”
Hank felt goosebumps erupt on his arms. “It’s true.”
“We’ll be expecting you for dinner – is seven okay?”
“That’s perfect. See you then.”
After she left, Hank sat at his desk and pretended to stare at his computer screen. But really, his mind was with her. He’d been so good about focusing on work, but as soon as she showed up again, it was like he couldn’t help himself. One minute he was working hard, and the next he volunteered to be her personal lumberjack.
Hank went straight home after work to change out of his uniform. He then stood in front of his closet and faced a question that he hadn’t thought about in ages – what should he wear? Margie had never seen him in regular clothes before, and truth be told, most of his regular clothes weren’t in the best condition.
He rummaged through a drawer filled with t-shirts. At the bottom was a soft gray shirt that his wife always liked. He pulled it out and ran his hand over the fabric – she said that it always felt soft on her skin. He’d wear it on the weekends when she would lay against his shoulder or on his chest as they watched TV.
He folded the shirt and carefully placed it back in the drawer. What was he doing? Why was he trying to look nice for another woman? This was ridiculous – it was too soon to feel this way. It was too soon to look forward to seeing someone else. It was too soon to be happy.
He shut the drawer and grabbed a black T-shirt that was laying on the floor. He wasn’t trying to impress anybody here, he just needed to chop up a tree for a friend, and he couldn’t remember how long that shirt was on the floor or how it got there. It was perfect.
When he got to Margie’s place, he knocked on her front door and she answered right away.
“Want to show me where that tree is?”
“Of course!”
Hank followed her to the barn silently. Margie had an incredible view of the ocean from both the house and the barn. He lingered, watching the water only for a moment before getting to work. In half an hour, he had the tree chopped up and stacked into a neat pile. While he was working, he came up with the plan of skipping dinner.
It would’ve been perfect, except Margie wouldn’t hear of it.
“No! Please, come in right now. I’m just putting the last finishing touches. I already have some chips and guacamole laid out.”
Guacamole? Now that was hard to resist. What harm could a few chips do? He decided he’d have a few bites and then head out.
Three hours later, he was still sitting at the table, laughing and telling stories with Morgan and Margie. It took Morgan a bit to warm up to him, but when she did, she was quite clever. And Margie…well, Hank enjoyed even hearing the sound of her voice. And her laugh – she had a great laugh.
When he finally got back to his car that night, he could no longer pretend – it was impossible for him to avoid her. Since his wife Corinne passed away, the only time he felt happy was when he was around Margie. That was an impossible feeling to resist – she was impossible for him to resist.
He thought that he would never be interested in anyone again; no one could measure up to the love and the life he’d had with Corinne. But Margie wasn’t in competition. She was warm smiles, and fresh cupcakes, and a fantastic laugh. Her gentle spirit reminded him of Corinne, who told him, many times towards the end, that she wanted him to find someone else, to be happy.
“We’ll see,” he’d tell her, knowing that would never happen.
But now, he wondered if Corinne hand picked Margie herself and sent her on that ferry.
Chapter 10
When Margie got back into the house after saying goodbye to Hank, Morgan already had most of the dishes cleared from the table.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said.
“It’s the least I can do,” said Morgan as she loaded the dishwasher.
“Gosh I missed
having a dishwasher.”
“You didn’t have one in your old apartment?”
“No.” Margie took a seat at the kitchen bar. “And it was a very small place, too. So I couldn’t have a big drying rack. It was cramped.”
Morgan finished rinsing the last dish. “Chief Hank seems pretty nice.”
“He does,” Margie said, keeping her tone even.
“I think he likes you,” said Morgan with a smile.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Margie rushed off to the dining room to wipe down the table and fuss about the chairs.
He certainly didn’t like her, he was just being nice. In fact, he was being too nice, because she’d been quite a nuisance since she arrived on the island. He must think that she was crazy, asking for birth certificates and questioning him about dead people.
It was surprising that gruff Chief Hank volunteered, without question, to cut up that branch. And then he showed up in that black t-shirt with a big chainsaw at his side…
Well.
Margie always liked a man in uniform and thought that he looked cute in his chief outfit, but this was something else. He looked very…masculine. Very lumberjack-ish. She found herself stealing glances out of the window to watch him work.
He was very skilled with the chainsaw, and that was impressive in itself. But she didn’t realize until she saw him throwing huge hunks of wood around how strong he was! His biceps strained against those little black sleeves. It was positively hard to look away.
She almost laughed to herself, because Hank was exactly the kind of guy who would’ve made Jeff feel insecure. Jeff was a good-looking man, sure. But he was rather slender, and his hair started thinning in his late twenties, so he became more and more preoccupied with how he looked.
He spent money on expensive suits, went to fancy salons and even tried some products to keep his hair from falling out. None of it worked, so he focused on the nice clothes and the nice cars. He became jealous when another man, especially one who looked stronger and had better hair than he did, spoke to Margie in an even slightly flirtatious manner.
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